… war against fake news starts from basic schools
Many countries are increasingly using media and information literacy to equip and empower students, and teenagers to critically think before sharing information online or offline, amidst surging instances of fake news dissemination.
Fake news has assumed a disturbing dimension in Nigeria recently, as social media provides users with the freedom to create and disseminate information on their own terms.
Some disreputable citizens with ulterior motives use social media to publish and disseminate misinformation. The damaging implications of this, cut across every fibre of Nigerian’s communal life; from politics to religion, and business to social life.
Misinformation has caused public chaos, communal conflicts, political turmoil, and economic threats to Nigeria and its citizens.
No doubt, fake news is a threat to Nigeria’s growing democracy, not just as a nation with a substantial population, but also as a nation with a wide range of differences and diversity.
For instance, in 2016, many Nigerians were killed in reprisal killings sparked by horrific, but false, photos purporting to depict deaths in the conflict between herdsmen and farmers in central Nigeria.
Perhaps, the most pronounced area of concern over fake news, is Nigeria’s national security, which unarguably is the greatest challenge of the country.
National security is a sine qua non for economic development and the total well-being of every country.
Yet, in Nigeria, the government seems to be disorganised when it comes to the issue of curbing fake news in the country.
Instead of nipping the war against fake news in the bud by making incorporating it in the curriculum for the basic schools, as obtainable in Finland, where the war against fake news starts from a young age.
In Finland, the media literacy curriculum covers various topics, from questioning where stories come from to the right to freedom of expression.
To equip students with the skills to combat misinformation, schools across Finland are given the latest book, “The ABC Book of Media Literacy”, to teach the subject.
Read also: Rethinking teacher education in Nigeria amidst teacher shortages
Finland is often held up as the benchmark for having a media-literate population. The country has topped the media literacy index every year since the ranking system was first published in 2017.
Similarly, in Singapore, nearly four in five students under 18 believe that their schools should include media literacy classes in the curriculum, a survey by global market research firm Milieu Insight shows.
Like in Nigeria, the Milieu Insight survey found that in Singapore over 60 percent of youth not more than under 18 years old have encountered fake news, with many of these coming from social media platforms.
To help students identify and mitigate the impact of misinformation, the Ministry of Education organises media literacy classes through the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) programme.
According to the UNESCO media literacy is a set of competencies to search, critically assess, use, and contribute information and media content wisely; knowledge of one’s rights online; understanding of how to combat online hate speech and cyberbullying; understanding of the ethical issues surrounding the access and use of information; and engaging with media and ICTs to promote equality, free expression, intercultural and interreligious understanding, and other values.
Chuks Ugwu, a tech expert with Protech-Advance Solutions, a software company in Nigeria, speaking on the need to input media literacy in the curriculum said it will help students critically evaluate information before consuming it.
“I believe it is essential to include media literacy in the curriculum. By educating students on how to critically evaluate information, they will develop the skills to identify and manage fake news.
“This would not only help people become more informed digital citizens but also reduce the spread of misinformation, fostering a more discerning and responsible society,” he said.
Chinedu Ndigwe, research and teaching assistant at Lagos Business School said it is necessary to incorporate media literacy in school curriculum because it will equip students with critical thinking skills to assess the credibility of information, and be able to differentiate between accurate and misleading content.
“This is important especially given the rise of fake news and poor social media management. By teaching students how to evaluate sources, verify facts, and recognise bias, they become more discerning consumers of media.
“This, in turn, fosters a more informed society, reducing the spread of misinformation. For Nigerians, especially young people who are highly active online, media literacy would enable them to better manage the impact of fake news on social, political, and personal levels, promoting a healthier and more truthful information ecosystem,” he said.
Friday Erhabor, director of media and strategies at Marklenez Limited however believes that beyond incorporating it in the curriculum, the government should enforce the law against fake news.
“Those that promote fake news do it for fun and mischief not because they don’t know that what they are circulating is fake news. They do so to promote their selfish and biased interest.
“The best way to curb fake news is to hold culprit accountable. The problem we have in Nigeria is that we don’t enforce our laws. There are enough law to check mate fake news but we don’t enforce them,” he noted.
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